West Virginia Weather Alert: 1.5 Inches More Rain Could Flood Creeks Through Friday Morning

Charleston, West Virginia – Residents near small creeks and streams should prepare for rising water overnight as another 1 to 1.5 inches of rain could trigger localized flash flooding in parts of West Virginia already soaked by 2 to 6 inches of rain.

According to the National Weather Service in Charleston, additional showers and thunderstorms will cross the region through Friday morning as a cold front moves through. Heavy downpours and storms repeatedly tracking over the same areas could quickly overwhelm saturated ground and send smaller waterways out of their banks.

The greatest concern centers on communities that received significant rainfall earlier Thursday and overnight. The Weather Service said another 1 to 1.5 inches could be enough to produce renewed flooding in the hardest-hit locations.

While forecasters do not expect a repeat of the prolonged 1- to 2-inch-per-hour rainfall rates observed during the previous night, locally heavy rain remains possible through the overnight hours and Friday morning.

Drivers should never enter a flooded roadway. Water can conceal washed-out pavement or become deep enough to sweep away a vehicle. Residents near flood-prone streams should keep phones charged, monitor water levels and be prepared to move to higher ground if warnings are issued.

The flooding threat continues through Friday morning, with additional alerts possible as thunderstorms cross the region.